Homemade Bread Sticks in a Flash!

Breadsticks are perfect to serve with soups, stews, and chili. When the dough is prepared in an automatic bread machine, hands-on time is only about 10 minutes. To save even more time, the dough is rolled out and cut with a pizza cutter into strips rather than taking the time to roll each piece of dough into a rope.

The secret to crisp breadsticks in a home oven is to create steam. This can be accomplished by spraying the breadsticks with water just before putting them in the oven. An alternate method is to put the breadsticks in the oven and pour in 1/3 cup water near the bottom of the oven; shut the oven door immediately so the steam does not escape.

If you prefer soft breadsticks, like my children, you can put them in the oven without spraying them with water. You can also vary the flavor of these breadsticks by substituting poppy seeds, dried onion flakes, or Parmesan cheese for the sesame seeds. Another alternative is to brush the breadsticks just as they come from the oven with a mixture of 1/4 cup butter and a pressed clove of garlic (which has been microwaved one minute to melt the butter and infuse the garlic flavor).

Fast and Easy Breadsticks

Place the ingredients in the order listed in the pan of the automatic bread machine. Set the machine on the dough cycle. After the dough has mixed for a minute or two, check to see if there is enough flour, adding a little more if necessary. The dough should be soft and form a smooth ball.

When the cycle is finished, transfer the dough onto a lightly floured pastry cloth. Roll out the dough to a large rectangle about 1/2" thick.

With a pizza cutter, cut across in half, then lengthwise into 16 strips. Stretch each strip to fit the short side of a baking sheet; place the breadsticks on parchment-lined baking sheets. Let rise until double in size.

Beat the egg white with the water; Brush the mixture on each breadstick and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Spray the bread sticks with water and place in a preheated 425° oven. Bake until lightly browned.